Alphas revisited: M&A stars

Alphas revisited: M&A stars

Caroline Rae, Herbert Smith Freehills

Herbert Smith Freehills’ Caroline Rae is something of a torchbearer for female success in M&A. Last year, she led the £7.8bn acquisition of Western Power Distribution for National Grid. ‘Take your most exciting M&A deal and times it by ten,’ she says of the transaction. Continue reading “Alphas revisited: M&A stars”

Alphas revisited: Finance stars

Alphas revisited: Finance stars

Sinead O’Shea, Simpson Thacher

Showcasing a striking client list that includes the likes of KKR, Viridian, JPMorgan, First Reserve, Silver Lake, BlackRock and Blackstone, Simpson Thacher’s Sinead O’Shea is at the top of her game. Having qualified in Ireland, O’Shea has worked in the firm’s New York and Hong Kong offices. ‘Moving to Hong Kong was a huge challenge as I went there right after becoming a partner and having my second child,’ she admits. ‘I knew nothing whatsoever about the Asian market and the cultural setup there.’ Continue reading “Alphas revisited: Finance stars”

Alphas revisited: Mid-tier stars

Alphas revisited: Mid-tier stars

Karen Hendy, RPC

While horror stories have become increasingly rare in recent years, RPC’s head of corporate Karen Hendy recounts an awkward story from early in her career when she was the only woman present in a meeting room. ‘One of the partners looked at me and asked me where my corporate partner was. The room went silent.’ Continue reading “Alphas revisited: Mid-tier stars”

Magic Circle in the US: Running to stand still

Magic Circle in the US: Running to stand still

‘There are more than 40 US law firms that are more profitable than the Magic Circle. The Magic Circle firms are, in US profit terms, very much middle-of-the-road players.’

Maurice Allen, founder of consultancy LTN & Partners, who has been a partner at Clifford Chance (CC), White & Case, Weil, Freshfields and Ropes & Gray, is under no illusions about the scale of the challenge facing the Magic Circle firms in the US. Top US firms continue to increase their profitability, while UK firms struggle to stand alongside them. Continue reading “Magic Circle in the US: Running to stand still”

Pillar to post

Pillar to post

After an extended and often troubled development, the OECD’s new ‘global minimum tax’ is at last coming to fruition. With adoptees including South Korea and Japan, and the Council of the European Union in addition to the UK government announcing plans to follow suit by the end of 2023, the prospect of Pillar Two, long seen as distant and perhaps uncertain, is now ever more tangible. Continue reading “Pillar to post”

Tax perspectives: Dan Neidle

Tax perspectives: Dan Neidle

Why did you decide to become a lawyer and – why tax?

I studied physics at university because I thought I was brilliant at maths. Then I hit the wall of my maths ability about two weeks into the degree so I decided I wanted to be a crusading criminal barrister. I then made the mistake of doing a mini-pupillage and, seeing how the criminal law impacts people’s lives, decided it wasn’t for me. Complete respect to people who can do that, but I can’t. Continue reading “Tax perspectives: Dan Neidle”